Elza van den Heever and the MET Orchestra: A stunning all-Strauss program
Intimate Voix humaine provides a way forward
ReviewHow do you stage something that is so static in tableau and also has so few characters? And more to the point, how does a company stage it in a time when theaters are closed due to the COVID-19 pandemic?
Tiny worlds & admiring singers: a mid-pandemic wellness check
EditorialI don't live in the vast world of opera, anymore, and it's fucking sad. I haven't had one of those heart-racing experiences at a live show since February. I haven't had that happy, vibrating commute home in the magical night-time after seeing something incredible; it's been a long time since I've felt the relief of taking off high heels at the end of the night, or placed those heels gently back on their shelf, for next time.
Renée Fleming Brings A New Luster To Dumbarton Oaks
ReviewRenée Fleming knows her audience, or in this case, the lack of one. Creating a sense of intimate occasion in the elegant music salon at Dumbarton Oaks, a Georgetown estate with a musical pedigree of its own, Fleming made her contribution to the Metropolitan Opera's MET Stars Live streaming concert series feel like a musical get-together.
The Emphatically Present “West Side Story”
Op-EdThrough the years the original Broadway cast recording, abridged as it is to fit the time limitations of a single “long-playing” vinyl disk, has remained the pinnacle of its major recordings. The soundtrack of the hugely successful film recruited legions of fans plus a few detractors, Bernstein among them, who found it overblown.
The concessions we make for live opera: Tosca goes up at Northern Lights Music Festival
ReviewWith no performances scheduled in the United States scheduled for the next six months will there still be an audience? I think so, and I hope so. Cautious performances like those put on by Northern Lights are essential to keeping the spirit of opera alive in the United States. Let us hope for more innovation and live music making in the coming months.
A weekend pick reminiscent of the good old days: Grindr (and other concerns)
EditorialThe premiere viewing of Grindr (and other conce rns) will feature Act 1: An Annotated Sing Through, where you can catch "unforgettably naughty scenes and arias" from the opera's first act, along with some delightful commentary on topics like opera development and queer hook-up culture. It's a combination of live and pre-recorded material.
A fresh Sunday Matinee out of Florida Grand Opera
EditorialFGO's production from 2018 stars Ana María Martínez as Florencia, the Brazilian soprano journeying home via the Amazon river; amid the storms and cholera outbreaks, Florencia and her fellow passengers travel into a murkey combination of fantasy and reality.
Aria guides: Vecchia zimarra
How-ToThis aria from the final act of La bohème is two pages of what's stunning about a great bass. Colline, the philosopher among his band of bohemians, is doing his part after Mimì shows up at his apartment, looking for his friend Rodolfo and dying of tuberculosis. He decides to pawn his coat to help pay for a doctor, and because he's a philosopher, the decision is a weighty one
Aria guides: Voi, che sapete
How-To"Voi che sapete" is about puberty, becoming girl-crazy, and involuntary bodily functions that are fun but also difficult to hide. It's one of those Mozart arias that seems simple, but demands a lot in the details. With your teacher and coach, this Aria Guide can help Cherubinos-to-be get started:
From trash to Valhalla: what's on deck this weekend
EditorialThese concerts are designed to conform to CDC health guidelines, including pre-performance health screenings, partitions separating singers and accompanying musicians, and the wearing of masks where possible.